


Cabin Vacation

by ericsonclan



Series: Ericson's Diner AU [45]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Cabins, F/F, F/M, Fishing, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:35:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27150508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericsonclan/pseuds/ericsonclan
Summary: Marlon, Sophie, Renata and Minnie enjoy a vacation at a cabin by a lake.
Relationships: Marlon & Rosie (Walking Dead: Done Running), Marlon/Sophie (Walking Dead: Done Running), Renata & Sophie (Walking Dead: Done Running), Renata/Minnie (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Series: Ericson's Diner AU [45]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1688374
Kudos: 3





	Cabin Vacation

**Author's Note:**

> (by Linnea)

“Finally!” Sophie kicked open the car door with her leg and jumped out of the car with a happy grin. “Freedom!” 

“Whew!” Marlon turned off the car, pocketing the keys and getting out to stretch his legs. “That was a long last final leg of the drive. But it’s nice that we’re finally at the cabin.” He smiled over at his fiance who returned the smile in kind before turning to the car. 

“Come on, Rosie!” Sophie patted her knees energetically, causing the pitbull to jump onto Renata who had been sleeping peacefully on Minnie’s shoulder whose head laid softly on top of her girlfriend’s. Renata let out a light pained sound as she bolted up.

“I’m up!” Renata blinked the sleep out of her eyes then leaned back to look up at Minnie. “Morning, Min.” Renata captured Minnie’s lips in a quick kiss. Minnie leaned into the kiss before pulling back, a slight blush on her face. 

“Morning, Ren.”

“Sorry about that, Renata!” Sophie popped her head in with an apologetic grin. “But we’re here.”

“We’re here!” Renata’s eyes shone excitedly and grabbing Minnie’s hand she pulled the two of them out of the car. Minnie gave a lighthearted chuckle as she stumbled on her feet when the couple exited the vehicle but was immediately caught up in the beauty of the place. It wasn’t the largest place, having only around eight cabins, but the location was gorgeous. The lake’s surface danced with the sunlight as some loons glided over the water, allowing the flow of the lake to guide the birds where it intended. Off in the distance were some beautiful green and vibrant trees that stood along the other side of the lake and beyond that were hills. 

“Holy shit,” Minnie whispered.

“So, what do you think?” Marlon smiled back at Minnie and Renata.

“This place looks amazing!” Renata’s grin grew as her eyes took in the new sight.

“Yeah, babe. You did a good job picking this place.” Sophie made her way to Marlon’s side and took his hand. Rosie trotted along and sat down on Marlon’s other side. A happy carefree look was on the pitbull’s face as she looked up at Marlon. Her tongue stuck out to the side as she panted. 

“I’m glad.” Marlon reached down his free hand and started to give Rosie some head scratches. “I figured it’d be the perfect spot after that last week with meeting all the in-laws.”

“Yeah, definitely,” Sophie let out a happy sigh, her shoulders relaxing. It had been a nerve-wracking week. Marlon had invited her to join him in his drive up to Minnesota to visit his relatives. It had been an easy decision even though it made Sophie’s stomach fill with anxiety. She had really wanted to meet some of Marlon’s extended family and she didn’t want to miss this chance. Luckily Renata and Minnie had also decided to come along for moral support. But Sophie also knew that there was a second reason. Both Minnie and Renata had wanted to take a vacation so of course they wouldn’t let this opportunity slip by either. 

Sophie was really thankful that they had come along. It made it a lot easier that three of the most important people in her life were by her side when she met those who would soon be family. It had also made the fifteen hours of driving even more fun as the squad of four along with Rosie road tripped up to Minnesota. 

But now after all the awkward introductions and telling and retelling the same stories again and again, they were finally free to kick back and relax. Marlon had thought ahead about this trip and booked a cabin by a beautiful lake where the four of them would be staying for the next five nights. 

“Let’s check out the cabin!” Renata bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet. Her hand intertwined with Minnie’s swayed back and forth. 

“Yeah, I just gotta get the key from the person in charge here. If we could start getting unpacked that'd be great. I think we have cabin four.” Marlon looked around at the other three who were all in agreement. Giving Sophie a quick kiss, Marlon ran off with Rosie in tow, in search of the person in charge of the cabins. 

“With the three of us, we can unload the car in a few loads!” Minnie grabbed some bags and slung them over her shoulder before handing a few to Sophie. Renata moved forward and grabbed the cooler and some beach bags filled with floaties, bug spray and sunscreen. Snagging up all they could, the trio toted the stuff in front of the cabin that displayed the number four above the doorway. The girls tossed down the stuff and were on their way to grab the next load when they noticed Marlon and Rosie jogging over towards them. 

“Alright, all set,” Marlon held the key on one of his fingers. “Oh, let me grab that for you, Minnie.” Marlon moved forward and took the last big bag from the back. With the last few spare items here and there in their arms, the two couples made their way over to the cabin. Sophie took some stuff from Marlon’s arms to let him get the door open. After a few seconds of fidgeting with the lock he swung the front door open, revealing an old couch in the small front living room and a small kitchen area with a table. 

“Welcome to our cabin!” Marlon turned around and held out his hands to show off the cabin. Renata gave an impressed whistle. “Quite the cabin you snagged us!”

“Yeah, it’s nice.” Minnie set down one of the bags by the door. 

“So, what do you guys want to do first?” Sophie came through the door last, her arms filled with a ton of bags which Marlon quickly rushed forward to help carry.

Renata’s lips pulled into a mischievous and playful smile. “Minnie and I are gonna claim the best bed!”

Before Sophie or Marlon could even register what was happening Renata was off, speeding around the cabin while Minnie followed behind, a warm smile on her face while she watched her girlfriend with amusement. Renata slid past Sophie with a competitive grin as she looked at the first bedroom before proudly declaring that her and Minnie would be taking the second room. Sophie and Marlon shared a look before moving over to the other bed and setting down their stuff. 

Once everything had been brought inside and they were all settled they decided on going out into the lake for a swim. Marlon was the first to change into his red swim trunks that had shark fins that circled his knees. As soon as he was done he set to work blowing up the floaties with Rosie’s much appreciated company while the girls changed. Sophie was the next to be finished dressing, strolling out with her light blue one piece that had some stripes that covered the front.

“Here, I can blow up the burger floatie,” Sophie’s voice appeared by Marlon’s side who glanced up with a happy smile when he saw his fiancee. He immediately handed over the floatie and Sophie plopped herself down on the grass, giving Rosie some love and attention before working on the floatie. Minnie and Renata finished around the same time. Both of them walked out of their bedroom hand in hand. Minnie wore a dark blue bikini. A few straps covered her back and the swimsuit had a sporty feel to it while Renata’s bikini had pinks and oranges and teals that gave a more tropical vibe. 

“Hey, need any help?” Minnie asked, as she made her way over with her girlfriend.

“Yeah, that’d be great.” Sophie smiled over at her twin and offered Renata and Minnie two different floaties.

“It’s finally time to show off my super strong lungs!” Renata declared with a goofy grin and inhaled deeply, causing her cheeks to puff out before blowing all the air into the floatie. Minnie’s smile was hidden behind the floatie as she continued to inflate the pizza slice floatie. After ten minutes all the floaties were blown up and all that was left to do was put on some sunscreen and bug spray. 

Sophie started to help Marlon right away by spreading a good amount of sunscreen on her fiance's back. He always burned super easily so he had to make sure to apply plenty of it on. Marlon scrubbed in the sunscreen on his face, applying behind his ears before getting his arms and legs. Once Sophie was done with his back she started putting sunscreen on his chest, causing the couple to giggle. After Marlon was all set he started to help Sophie. Both her and Minnie were no better when it came to how their skin did in the sun. So the same rule applied and Marlon made sure to cover Sophie’s back with enough sunscreen. 

“I can do your back,” Renata shook the sunscreen bottle with a cheery smile. 

“Thanks,” Minnie smiled back at her girlfriend before starting to apply sunscreen to her forearms. Renata easily got Minnie’s back but had to get up on her tiptoes to make sure she got all of it. Minnie shivered when she felt Renata’s hands brush against her shoulders. She clearly wasn’t expecting Renata to be able to get all the way up there. 

After a few minutes, it was Minnie’s turn to help Renata. She could feel her ears burning while she helped put sunscreen on her girlfriend’s back. When that was all set, Sophie put on some bug spray. She then passed the spray can over to Minnie who helped make sure Sophie was set. 

With everything good to go, the two couples along with Rosie ran down to the water’s edge. Sophie ran over to one of the docks and chucked the burger floatie out before hopping into it. She didn’t stick the landing though and capsized her small vessel, causing the tall redhead to disappear under the lake water. Renata and Minnie started laughing when Sophie’s head bobbed up from the water. Marlon was also laughing as he set up a floatie in the shallow water so Rosie could hop up into his lap.

“Rosie,” Marlon whistled and patted his lap. Rosie immediately jumped forward, landing onto Marlon with a hearty thud that caused the floatie to set out into the water. He started paddling out to join Sophie who had successfully gotten onto her floatie. 

“That was quite the splash, Soph,” Marlon smiled over at her while he reached out his hand. Sophie immediately took it, making the two floaties stay side by side. 

“What can I say? I guess I got too excited about a burger,” She smiled and gestured towards her floating device. 

Minnie and Renata walked hand in hand down to the other dock. Minnie gently placed down her pizza floatie and with some maneuvering successfully got on. 

“Let’s share a floatie!" Renata smiled at Minnie.

“Okay, let me just get a bit closer, Ren,” Minnie used both of her arms to push herself back to the edge of the dock. Renata immediately got on and sat down in Minnie’s lap, the floatie started to take on some water. But with a bit of readjusting Minnie successfully wrapped her arms around Renata and using her long legs pushed off the dock and into the open lake. The two enjoyed each other’s company as they drifted out further into the lake. Sophie and Marlon were busy talking a few feet away while Rosie decided to use their arms to stroll over and sit on Sophie’s lap. After about fifteen minutes of lazy relaxing in the lake, Renata spoke up.

“Sophie! I challenge you to a race!” Renata declared, hopping off of the shared floatie with Minnie back onto the docks and grabbing the doughnut floatie.

“Hah! You’re on!” Sophie gave a confident smile towards her best friend. “Babe, can you take Rosie for a bit?”   


“Sure.” Marlon opened up his arms and accepted the pitbull who jumped over. It took a few minutes to set up the start and finish lines but soon Sophie and Renata were side by side, ready to race.

“On your mark… get set…. Go!” Minnie yelled and the two were off, kicking their legs with all their might and paddling with their arms. Both were laughing wildly as they struggled to get the edge in the race.

“Well, well, well, Soph. Seems like you’re quite the slowpoke!” Renata looked back at her best friend with a cocky smile that soon disappeared when she saw the smile on Sophie’s face.

“Hah! I’m about to use my secret weapon!” Sophie let out a happy cry and started waving her limbs wildly which by some miracle actually made her faster. The two continued on with their race, not paying attention to their significant others who were watching with amusement.

Minnie glanced over at Marlon whose head was peeking out from behind Rosie. A large, tender smile was on his face while he watched Sophie. Minnie felt her own heart warm at the sight; she was glad that Sophie had found someone that was so fond of her. 

Minnie’s attention was drawn back to Renata who was trying to pull ahead in the race. A warm, loving smile pulled on Minnie’s lips while she watched her girlfriend. After a few minutes the race was done and more were decreed to begin shortly. It was clear that Renata was upset that she had lost the race so she and Sophie started another race right away before Marlon and Minnie had their turn. 

Soon the sky was turning into a warm orange hue and the four made their way back to shore. Rosie hopped out first, her stubby tail wagging happily while she barked for the others to follow. Marlon took his floatie and looped it around his arm before taking Sophie’s hand, leading the way back to the cabin. Renata and Minnie weren’t far behind but seemed to be taking a slower pace as they enjoyed the simple joy of walking hand in hand. 

“So,” Marlon tossed down his floatie on the porch. “Wanna just order some pizza tonight?”

Sophie’s eyes immediately shone brightly at the promise of food. “Yes! We can even do a movie night afterwards. You two down for that?” Sophie glanced back at Minnie and Renata. 

“I’m always down for some pizza and a movie!” Renata beamed over at her friend. 

“Yeah, pizza and a movie sounds fun,” Minnie held open the door to let her girlfriend in.

“Okay, I’ll take a quick shower then I’ll place the order.” Marlon called from his bedroom. After a few minutes he returned with a towel draped over his shoulders. “Shower’s free.”

“Thanks, babe,” Sophie captured Marlon’s lips in a short kiss then disappeared into the room. Marlon sat down on the couch where Minnie was busy drying her hair and took out his phone. By the time that Marlon had ordered two large pepperoni pizzas, Sophie and Renata had emerged from the rooms.

“Wanna play a game while we wait?” Sophie glanced over at the others.

“Only if you’re ready to get your ass kicked by Min and me.” Renata answered from her spot on the couch. 

“What’s the game?” Marlon put away his phone and turned his attention back on Sophie.

“Well, I thought we could use my hat,” Sophie twirled her baseball cap on her finger, “And this pack of cards and see which team can land the most.”

“Oh, Ren and I have totally got this,” Minnie looked at her twin with a competitive smile.

“Don’t count me and Marlon out,” Sophie returned the smile in kind before placing the hat down on the chair. Both teams fought valiantly in the card toss. Some used straightforward tactics like Minnie and Sophie, simply tossing the card at the destination, while others used more extreme moves to see if they could make it like Renata. Her throws were crazy and looked like they wouldn’t work but whenever she threw the card on the lamp by the hat and it successfully ricocheted off it and landed in the target, it sent the rest into impressed cheers. Marlon seemed to play more of the middle ground, sometimes straightforward and other times his nerves would make him take a riskier tactic. 

After one win on both sides the third match was extremely heated until they heard a knock on the front door, making both teams call a draw as they snatched their cheesy, delicious pizza. Within twenty minutes all the pizza was consumed, a few pieces of pepperoni being tossed over to the overly adorable Rosie who seemed pleased with herself each time she received a treat. When the food was gone Marlon set up the movie for the evening. They all had decided on a classic:  _ Tangled. _

Lots of commentary was spurted out by Sophie and Renata as the movie rolled on. Marlon seemed to get caught up in the action and comedy scenes, laughing the loudest whenever they showed up. Minnie seemed to enjoy all the different aspects of the movie but got especially caught up in the kingdom dance scene. Her eyes grew large and a warm smile appeared on her face when she watched, pulling Renata closer into her embrace as the scene played out. The lantern scene also made all four of them get caught up in the scene. It was hard not to with the beautiful song, the hundreds of lanterns in the sky and the romance between the main couple. When the movie wrapped up, all four of them decided it was best to call it a night. Everyone was still tired from the drive to the cabins and so after saying goodnight Sophie and Marlon along with Rosie strolled into one room while Minnie and Renata moved into the other.

“Well, I’d say that was a pretty awesome day!” Sophie fell backwards onto the bed before getting under the covers. 

“Yeah,” Marlon got under the covers as well. “Seems like the cabin is gonna be a ton of fun.”

“Yeah, I-” Sophie was cut off by a sharp yawn. “I think so too.” 

Marlon smiled over at Sophie, giving her a quick kiss before turning off the lights and wrapping his arms around her. Sophie melted into his embrace and soon the pair was asleep, Marlon’s loud snoring the only sound in the room. 

“What an amazing day!” Renata jumped onto the bed. “And we get four more days here!”

“Yeah,” Minnie slid under the covers. “It’s gonna be a ton of fun. It’s nice to get away for a bit with Marlon and Soph.”

“Yeah, I get all my favorite people with me.” Renata scurried under the covers and immediately wrapped herself around Minnie. “I love you.”

Minnie felt her heart do a backflip inside her chest. A bright, warm, fuzzy feeling swelled within her heart. “I love you too, Ren.” Minnie captured Renata’s lips in a soft, sweet kiss. Renata giggled, peppering Minnie’s face with kisses before nuzzling her head against her girlfriend’s collarbone. Within seconds Renata was asleep, small, teapot-like snores emitting from her sleepy form while she slept. Minnie placed a small kiss on Renata’s head then moved to turn off the light and shifted into a more comfortable position before falling asleep.

Minnie was the first to rise at the early hour of six. She carefully released Renata’s arms around her and tiptoed into the kitchen. Rosie trotted out, her tail wagging at the first human awake.

“Hey, Rosie,” Minnie gave the pitbull a few headscratches then reached over on the counter where the dog food was and shook some into the dog bowl. Rosie happily munched down on her food while Minnie strolled out onto the front porch. The cool, crisp morning air brushed against the redhead’s face who turned the outside chair towards the lake water and sat down. Her eyes watched the lake’s surface. It seemed like no time passed at all as Minnie watched the world wake up until she heard Marlon’s loud footsteps hit against the wooden floor.

“Morning,” He peeked through the screen door. “I’m gonna make some coffee to help wake up. Want any?”   


“Sure,” Minnie rose to her feet and opened the door. “Should probably also start on some breakfast.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Marlon moved over to the coffee maker and shook some grounds into the coffee filter. Minnie opened up the old fridge and poked her head in to see some eggs and bacon. She placed them in her arms and closed the fridge door with her foot as her hand wandered up to grab the bread that was hiding in one of the cupboards. Minnie put down the ingredients then moved to get out some pans. 

She was by no means an expert in cooking like Omar or Ruby but she could make a damn good breakfast of eggs and bacon. Minnie started humming a quiet tune to herself while she whisked the eggs. Marlon got to work on the bacon in the other pan. Minnie felt a small, giddy feeling bubbling in her stomach. She couldn’t wait to surprise Sophie and Renata with breakfast.

“Everything smells delicious,” Marlon smiled over at Minnie while he flipped a piece of bacon. “Sophie is gonna lose her mind when she smells breakfast.”

“Heh, yeah. She’s always been like this ever since we were little. She would jump up and down and grab my hand and slide into the kitchen to find breakfast ready to eat. She'd always time it perfectly too. It’s like her sixth sense in life has to do with food.” Minnie chuckled to herself. 

Marlon finished flipping over the rest of the bacon with a grin. “Yeah, Sophie sure does love her food.”

Minnie glanced up at the clock and realized that it was nearly nine. 

“When do you think Renata and Soph will wake up?” Marlon’s voice drew Minnie’s attention away from the toaster.

“Ren could wake up any minute now. Sophie on the other hand… she could be asleep for another three hours easily.” Minnie shook her head good naturedly. “She’s always been a pile of lazy bones when it came to waking up.”

“True,” Marlon moved over and sntached up the toast that popped out of the toaster before placing in two more slices. 

Renata let out a sleepy yawn and stretched her arms, a content smile on her face as she smacked her lips. Her smile left in an instant when she reached out to Minnie and only grabbed an empty spot. Renata had a small pout on her face when she was suddenly hit with the smell of breakfast. Jumping out of bed she ran out. Her small footsteps made Minnie look back, her face immediately brightening up when she saw Renata. 

“Morning, Ren,”

“Morning, Minnie,” Renata walked forward and wrapped her arms around Minnie’s waist. She then got on her tiptoes and placed a few kisses on Minnie’s neck that made Minnie giggle, a deep red blush on her face from the overwhelming affection.

“Morning, Renata.” Marlon smiled down at Renata as he grabbed some plates from the high cupboard.

“Hey Marlon, is Sophie up?” Renata released her arms from around her girlfriend’s waist.

“Nope.”

“Well, don’t worry, I’m on the case!” Renata dashed into the bedroom before Marlon or Minnie could say anything. She stopped in the doorway and saw Sophie as she lay on the bed wrapped in all the covers, a goofy grin on her face. A mischievous smile pulled on the corners of Renata’s lips and without warning she ran forward and launched herself in the air. “Sophie! Rise and shine!” Renata landed with a hard thud onto Sophie’s gut.

“Oof!” Sophie bolted up with a cough. “Ren! You jerk!” Sophie fell back down against the bed.

“Love you too!” Renata said with a cheery voice. “Now come on, it's time to get up and-”

“Breakfast!” Sophie’s eyes were practically sparkling. Rolling out of bed she dashed forward and slid across the floor on her socks, running into the door.

“Holy shit, you’re never late,” Minnie smiled over at her twin as she had just finished cooking breakfast. 

“You okay, Soph?” Marlon jogged over to check on his fiance who waved a hand dismissively.

“I’m fine, babe. Let’s eat.” Sophie strode forward and took a spot down at the table. 

“There’s coffee if you want any.” Minnie placed down her mug of pure black coffee and started to grab some breakfast.

“Oh yes! Sweet caffeine.” Renata took down two mugs and started to fill them with coffee. She strolled over and placed a coffee in front of Sophie while Marlon started to plate some food for her.

“Thanks, everyone,” Sophie took a long sip from her coffee. “Oh, sweet morning juice. This will give me the energy to go fishing today.”

“Wanna head out this afternoon?” Marlon looked over at Sophie from behind his mug.

“Yeah, how about you two? Wanna join us?” Sophie looked over at the other couple.

“I think I’ll just chill by the docks.” Minnie took a bite of her toast. 

“Oh, let’s go catch some minnows today!” Renata bounced excitedly in her chair.

“Okay,” Minnie’s smile grew when she saw the joy in Renata’s eyes.

“Guess that will leave us with the task of catching dinner,” Marlon leaned forward on his elbows. “Gotta get some bait first.”

“Okay, Renata and I can do the dishes since you and Minnie cooked us breakfast.” Sophie tossed the last bite in her mouth.

“Whoo! Dish buddies!” Renata high-fived Sophie.

“I can go buy bait with you, Marlon, if you want an extra set of hands.” Minnie rose up from her spot.

“Sounds good, give me a few minutes to get dressed then we can head out.” Marlon walked over to Sophie’s spot and gave her a warm kiss then disappeared into the bedroom. After a few minutes both Minnie and Marlon were ready to go. 

“Let’s show these dishes who’s boss!” Sophie jumped to her feet and started collecting dirty dishes. Renata soon joined her. Once the dishes were all collected, Sophie took off her engagement ring and put it on the kitchen counter. Renata appeared in front of the ring and held it up to her face.

“Gotta say, Marlon did a good job picking out the ring,” Renata looked over at Sophie. “But I guess it was all thanks to me since I helped him.”

“Eh, I’d say it was a team effort,” Sophie started the water and brushed off the crumbs and other food residue on the plate with a sponge. “One that I'm glad for.”

Renata studied the ring with curiosity when something started to dance in her eyes. Sophie glanced over at her best friend. Something was definitely spinning in that mind of hers.

“Let’s finish the dishes.” Sophie’s voice drew back Renata to reality.

“Of course! I’ll prove to you that I’m the best dish dryer in all the land!” 

Sophie chuckled at Renata before the pair started to talk about casual conversation here and there. Both of them got drawn into slightly heated debates about best foods and such but it was always in good fun. As soon as the dishes were done Renata scampered off into Sophie and Marlon’s room.

“Ren, what are you doing?” Sophie poked her head into the room to find her friend opening all drawers in the room. 

“Hidey spots.” 

“Hidey spots? For what?”

“A ring,”

“Why are you looking for a ring?” Sophie’s face scrunched in confusion before her eyes grew large. “Wait, you think Minnie is proposing?”

“Maybe,” Renata had a mischievous smile on her face as she ran forward towards Sophie and slid under her large form, making her way to other spots around the cabin.

“I’d know about it though,” Sophie’s logic fell on deaf ears as Renata continued to search until Marlon and Minnie returned.

“We’re back with the bait!” Marlon called out as he entered the cabin with Minnie who looked confused by how chaotic it had gotten in the forty five minutes they were gone.

“What are you two doing?” Minnie looked over at her twin who was busy getting the fishing poles and life jackets ready.

“I was just chilling, but Renata seems to be on the hunt.”

“For what?” Minnie looked at Renata who had a playful smile on her face. 

“Toilet!” Renata’s eyes grew large. “Min would think I would never look there. Just like Sophie’s proposal!”

Sophie had an embarrassed blush on her face at those words while she helped Marlon with his life jacket. “I didn’t even propose and it wasn’t like that.”

“Wait! Why the fuck are we talking about that and why does Renata have her head in the toilet?” 

“She thinks you’re gonna propose.” Sophie answered then smiled at Marlon as he snapped the last harness of the life jacket in place. “Thanks, Mar.” Sophie gave him a quick kiss that made Marlon blush.

“Oh, right! Almost forgot,” Marlon ran forward and put on a grey bucket hat. “How does it look?”

“Absolutely a-dork-able!” Sophie looked back at her fiance.

“And that’s a good thing, right?” Marlon strolled forward, stopping in front of Sophie with a nervous expression. 

Sophie grabbed his hand in hers. “The best! We’re gonna head out. You two might wanna go minnow catching soon.”

Minnie had been frozen in place, too overwhelmed by the information to notice what was happening around her. A light blush was on her face at the news of what Renata was doing. It was only when Marlon and Sophie walked outside that she snapped back to reality.

“Ren, ummm… shit. I don’t have some hidden ring.” 

“That’s what someone with a hidden ring would say! But let’s focus on the minnows for now.” Renata strode forward with a bucket and immediately intertwined her fingers with Minnie’s. The two walked out of the cabin, followed closely behind by Rosie who seemed excited about the docks. 

Minnie glanced over and saw that Renata’s enthusiasm for the day hadn’t dwindled. “So, think Soph and Marlon will catch any fish?”

“Hmm, I’d say yes! But not as many as the minnows that we’ll catch with this bad boy.” Renata shook the bucket energetically. The couple reached the docks and moved to the shallow waters to look at the minnows. The little critters moved quickly and sporadically as they lived their carefree lives.

“I haven’t gone minnow hunting since Sophie and I were kids.” Minnie’s smile grew as Renata handed over the bucket. Ever so cautiously Minnie leaned over, the bucket hovering over the water before dunking in and successfully catching nearly a dozen minnows.

“Whoa!” Renata clapped excitedly. “That was awesome! But I bet I can catch more!”

“Oh yeah?” Minnie smiled over at her girlfriend. The two began their competition. Rosie watched with sleepy eyes as her head rested on the dock, looking between the pair. It was a pretty even match and soon they decided to just relax and moved to the edge of the dock where they could stick their toes into the water. Minnie and Renata looked out onto the lake where Sophie and Marlon were preparing for some more fishing.

“Alright Mar, pick your poison,” Sophie displayed the three choices of bait to him: leeches, earthworms and grubs. Marlon placed his hand on his chin and studied the bait carefully before tapping on the plastic container with the leeches.

“Ah, the wild choice.” Sophie opened up the container and carefully began the process of hooking on the leech to the fishing pole. “Sneaky little turd, aintcha,” Sophie’s tongue stuck out slightly while she struggled to hook it. But soon it was on. 

“This is what all my relatives swear is the expert choice.” Marlon cast the line into the lake, the line hitting the water’s surface with a soft plunk as Renata’s homemade fishing bob danced on the water. 

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to see.” Sophie leaned back in her spot and watched, curious to see if it would work. After a few minutes of silence, Marlon felt a tug on his line and with some reeling in and wearing out the fish he pulled in a fairly plump crappie that Sophie helped get into the container they brought along. Sophie then proceeded to choose the grub as her bait to see how well it worked. She launched the line into the lake and she and Marlon talked in whispered tones while they waited for a fish to take the bait. 

“Oh!” Sophie rose up on her feet. “Looks like a sucker!” Sophie began to reel in the fish. Marlon watched from his spot when all of the sudden he felt a wet and scaly thing smack his face and tip him overboard. It turned out Sophie had gotten too excited and had snapped back her fishing rod too fast, causing the fish to launch through the air. 

“Oh shit, Marlon!” Sophie placed the fishing rod in a holder and leaned over to help her fiance. She started to devolve into a fit of giggles as she struggled to help Marlon back into the boat, grabbing the back of his pants and pulling him in haphazardly.

“Ok, Snickerdoodles. It wasn’t that funny,” Marlon pushed back his waterlogged bucket hat. 

“Sorry, sorry, but I guess you could say I got the catch of the day,” Sophie gestured towards her fiance before holding out her hands to measure Marlon. “I don’t think you’ll catch anything as big as I did.”

“Wanna bet?” Marlon lunged forward and started tickling Sophie and wrapping her in a bear hug. Sophie and Marlon started to laugh until they nearly capsized the boat. After that point they refocused and got back into their casual competition of catching the most fish. They spent another hour or two out there before pulling back into shore where Minnie and Renata were busy swimming together. 

“How was fishing?” Minnie looked over at her sister with a playful smile. Sophie didn’t even have to ask to know that they had seen her knock Marlon into the lake with a fish. 

“It was a ton of fun. You two should go out tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah! I bet that would be fun!” Renata floated over to Minnie. Once Marlon and Sophie had put the container in the water so the fish wouldn’t die they ran inside and got changed back into their swimsuits. The four of them enjoyed their time together while Rosie took a nap. Before long it was time to prep for dinner.

“Sophie and I will gut the fish!” Renata declared and hopped out of the lake.

“I suppose we will!” Sophie returned the enthusiasm and soon the pair of best friends were off to prep for dinner. They carried the bucket of fish over to the gutting shack and Renata immediately pulled out a fish, making funny panicked sounds when it tried to slip from her grasp. The two worked well together and not long after they had started they were finished. Dinner was cooked by Marlon and Minnie using a family fish recipe that Marlon swore was the best he ever had. When the food was placed on the table all of them waited for Sophie to take the first bite.

“Holy cheeseballs!” Sophie’s eyes sparkled. “This is the best fish ever!”

“Yes!” Marlon pumped his fist and the four of them dug into their meal. 

So far the cabin getaway had been a ton of fun and it didn’t stop there. Each day was filled with new adventures and new places that Renata figured a hidden engagement ring would be. How serious she was none of them could tell but all of them were impressed by the imagination for hiding places Renata had thought of. The gutting shack, the car, in a fish itself, inside Minnie’s back pockets (although that seemed more of a playful flirtatious interaction than a serious guess) and the search went on. 

None of them seemed to mind and they enjoyed the different activities to do around the cabin together. Minnie and Sophie got into a heated competition over cannonballing into the hole of a floatie, Renata and Minnie tried their hand at fishing. All four went out for an evening boat ride with Rosie and stared at the beautiful lake water. Each day was filled with tasty and good food and each of them enjoyed each other’s company. The days flew by until they were on their last night there before heading out in the morning. Marlon and Renata had offered to go buy a special dinner of steaks to grill, giving Minnie and Sophie some alone time. 

“Wanna head out to the docks for the last time?” Sophie opened the door with a smile.

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Minnie exited the cabin then held open the door for her sister before they walked to the end of the dock together. 

“So, Renata has sure been diligent in her hunt,” Sophie kicked her legs lazily in the water.

“Yeah, but there really isn’t a ring,” Minnie mumbled. Her feet moved around in the water more anxiously. 

“Yeah, I figured since you’d tell me if you had planned a proposal.”

“It’s something I want to do sometime in the near future,” Minnie turned her face up to the sky.

“Really!” Sophie’s eyes widened, an excited smile on her face. 

“Yeah, I don’t know exactly know when it’s gonna happen, but… I want to. Renata makes me really happy.” Minnie’s face grew hot, a nervous, happy smile on her lips. 

Sophie beamed over at her twin. “Well, you have my blessing,” She threw her arm over Minnie’s shoulder. “I see how happy you two make each other. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone melt your heart quite like Ren.” Sophie’s words made Minnie blush even more. “Plus I get my best friend as my sister-in-law.”

“If she says yes,” Minnie played with the tip of her hair. A nervousness danced deep within her eyes.

“Ha! I think you have nothing to worry about.” Sophie smiled over at her twin. 

“We’re back!” Marlon called out, holding up a bag of steaks and other tasty food. 

Sophie launched herself up to her feet.“Steak!” Sophie dashed away, causing Minnie to chuckle. Minnie rose up to her feet and started to make her way over to the cabin. When she got inside she could already see Marlon and Sophie prepping the steaks. Sophie talked animatedly alongside her fiance, both of them sharing quick kisses and hugs throughout the dinner process.

Minnie strolled forward, her eyes stopping when she noticed Renata standing by the couch and examining a dessert recipe. She could feel her heartbeat quicken when she looked at her girlfriend. Without a second thought Minnie hugged Renata from behind and placed a kiss on her cheek before burying her head in her neck. 

Renata giggled. “I guess you missed me when I was shopping.”

“You could say that,” Minnie whispered. “I love you, Ren.”

“I love you too, Min.” 

Renata’s words sent Minnie’s heart going wild. Minnie pulled back and looked at the cabin. It really had turned into a fun vacation and solidified something in her mind about the future. A future with Renata. 


End file.
